Mauve is almost like a neutral, with hints of gray that let it work with a number of color schemes. In the dining room of an Atlanta home by Kristin Kong, she echoed the delicate mauve walls by having the cherry table refinished in a serene gray, then adding contrast with the burlap-backed chairs.

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CQ

Color Inspiration: Mauve

"How soothing is this color? Not too gray, not too violet. Its gracefulness and subtlety set the tone for the dining room." — Kristin Kong

Make it your own: Sherwin-Williams Beguiling Mauve SW 6269

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Ngoc Minh Ngo

The Look

In designer David Kaihoi's East Village apartment, dazzling purple infuses rooms and halls with plenty of energy.

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Color Inspiration: Bold Purple

"I find it relaxing whenever any dark, rich color is used throughout a room. Your eye is not jumping from dark walls to light trim, and you sink into the color just as you'd sink into a comfortable sofa. It's almost as if you're swimming in it. And it opens up the space, because you can't see where the boundaries are." — Eddie Lee

Make it your own: Valspar Signature Purple Royalty 4009-10

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Roland Bello

The Look

The sofa in the living room of a dramatic Manhattan home has a "grounding" effect that brings the vivid colors back down to earth.

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Color Inspiration: Aubergine

"Most people are afraid of aubergine because it's dark, but it's really incredibly easy to use because it has blue and red and green — even yellow — embedded in it, and you can pull any of them out. It would look very novel and new with celadon. Bright white trim would make it more intense and give it that Dorothy Draperesque Regency feeling." — Darren Henault

"This is like a midnight sky. It has a sense of mystery and a little bit of sexiness. How does it make me feel? Rich. Purple has always been associated with royalty. Cleopatra had purple silk sails on her barge. I'm tired of beige-on-beige. I crave something a little more exciting. Try it in an entryway, with silver tea paper on the ceiling." — Eric Lysdahl

"I'm in the mood for this kind of happy, soothing color. It's the palest of the pale lavenders — a petally color, a flower color. I think it's very pure and fresh. I'd use it in a bedroom, where you could mix it up with everything from mirrored furniture to pale wood furniture to dark mahogany." — Laura Bohn

"It's the color of a spring crocus. Bold, but not too sweet. That little bit of black in it keeps it from being too Easter egg-y. I'd love to see this in a bedroom or a library with a light Christian Dior gray on the trim. The gray makes it more sophisticated, and grounds it, so we don't go off into airy-fairy land." — Amanda Nisbet

Make it your own: Benjamin Moore Snugglepuss 1405

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Björn Wallander

The Look

In an apartment decorated in shades of red and blue, designer Mark D. Sikes added in doses of soft purple to unify the palette.

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Color Inspiration: Lilac

"I've always loved lavender. To me, it's such a comfort color, particularly in a bedroom. It sort of lulls you to sleep. This has a little gray in it, which keeps it calm. If I wanted to mix it up, I'd throw in some navy or olive green. Because this shade is so subdued, it works well with just about any printed fabric. It's also a great backdrop for art." — Kim Gilhool

Make it your own: California Paints Faded Lilac 7490W

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Francesco Lagnese

The Look

A glossy finish enriches the wine-purple cabinets in the kitchen of a New York apartment by Nick Olsen.

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Color Inspiration: Pinot Noir Purple

"When I hear the word 'purple,' I bristle a bit, but this is a very approachable color. It's like a pinot noir. It would be beautiful in a nighttime room, maybe a media room or a library. I see it in a high sheen, glowing in the lamplight. It would envelop you and feel very calming and peaceful and quiet." — Suzanne Lovell

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